Production Science

The physics and psychoacoustics behind a hard dance mix: how loudness is perceived, why layered kicks cancel, and what phase does to your low end.

2 guides

Newest first. Reading time is on the right.

Loudness Perception in MusicHow human hearing works, why louder sounds "better," and how this affects production decisions.

7 min

Phase in Layered KicksUnderstanding phase relationships when layering kick samples and synth components.

7 min

Other topics

Plug-ins

How to install, set up and use Hardwave plug-ins in any DAW: Suite installation, licences, the Analyser, WettBoi and what to do when a plug-in will not load.

Mastering

Loudness, limiting and getting a hard dance mix release-ready: LUFS targets for hardstyle, what a limiter really does, and where AI mastering falls short.

Spectrum Analysis

Reading a spectrum analyser for harder styles: the frequency ranges in a hardstyle track, finding mud and resonance, and what the meters are telling you.

Effects & Processing

FX chains, filters, reverb and delay for harder styles: building a chain that stays clean, filter envelopes for risers, and keeping wet tails off the kick.

Mixing Hard Dance

Mixing hard dance at 150 BPM and above: kick and bass balance, what high tempo does to a mix, and the decisions that keep a track tight at festival volume.

Sound Design

Designing the sounds that carry a hard dance track: hardstyle kick synthesis from tail to punch, screeches and leads, and the atmosphere around them.